Should I Install Floor Before Cabinets

In most cases given standard flooring heights you will install the cabinets before the floor covering.

Should i install floor before cabinets.

Typically cabinets come before flooring. It seems it s recommended to install cabinet first before installing the hardwood floor. Check with your manufacturer to see if your floors are within normal height range. Put all the base cabinets in place then mark a line on the subfloor corresponding to the front edge of the toekick.

There will be some transition problems if the. There are a couple quality items to consider when installing the cabinets before flooring. First it s important that the cabinets are the standard 36 inches above the floor and it s important that the appliances are at this same height so that there aren t issues later if when you want to change the appliances e g. Installing the floors before the cabinets has some advantages.

Set and plumb the sink before installing the dishwasher which depends on linking to the sink s water supply and drain lines. I have an existing kitchen and want to redo the floor to be hardwood floor and replace the cabinets. You would not want your dishwasher to be trapped underneath the floor and. When planning the project together the benefits of installing your hardwood flooring first outweigh the benefits of installing cabinets before hardwood.

But if you have to install the flooring first here s a method that will avoid some of the problems i just described. My question is how to insure the cabinets are will be the same height since hardwood floors will be installed under the dishwasher and the oven. The benefit of installing the tile assembly after the cabinets stone countertops and other dead loads are installed understanding that the floor was designed to handle these loads is to help ensure the system is placed into compression before the tile is installed meaning the force of downward pressure on the finished installation is minimized. The finish can be applied after the cabinet installation lessening concerns about marring the floors during the remodel.

Floor covering or finish flooring is the surface that you see and walk on not the subfloor under the underlayment or underlayment between subfloor and finished layer. Otherwise the cabinet toe kicks and countertop will be short. Don t fret if your slide in range dishwasher or fridge looks out of. If this is the case install either floor panels or plywood risers beneath your cabinets to even the level.

Damage to hardwood flooring can be prevented by covering up your wood flooring with protection. Those are all good reasons to lay a kitchen floor after the cabinets are in. Shim up base cabinets keeping in mind the underlayment and flooring thickness the base cabinets should be raised up to accommodate the thickness after installation of the floor. Before installing flooring know how you plan to use it and if you think you re going to change your layout often try putting the floors in first.